Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



Patented run/.'25, |902. w H. BAKER & F.V E. KIP.l

-WEI`=T BEPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LDDMS.

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No. 714,274. Y V lPatented Nov. 25.1902.:` w. H. BAKER e. F. E. KIP.

WEFT REPLENnlSHlNG MECHANISM FOR LOUMS.

`App1cation filed Dec. 11, 1899.)

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WEFT BEPLENISHINE MECHANISM FOR LUUMS.

. (Application led Dec. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) s sheets-sheet, 4.

-UN1TRD "STATES PATENT' FFICR.

` WILLIAM BAKER, F CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, AND FREDERIC E. KIP, OFMONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

wEFT-REPLEmsHmc MEoHANlsM Fon Looms.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 714,274, dated November25, 1902.

` i Application filled December 1I, 1899. Serial No. 739,874. (Nomodel.)

To `(1r/ZZ whom it may concern: y Be it known that we,.WILL1AM H. BAKER,residing at Central Falls, Providence county, Rhode Island', andFREDERIC E. KIP, residi Aing at Montclair, Essex county, New Jersey,

citizens of the United States, have jointly `invented certain new anduseful Improvements in*Weft-Replenishing.Mechanism for Looms, of whichthe following is a specifica- `io tion.

zo `The present invention has for its'object to provide a double shuttleloom with magazines for supplying full weft-carriers orshnttles asneeded in place of those exhausted.

In our Letters Patent No. 659,950, dated October 16,1900, we have showna weft or fillingchanging or supplying mechanism wherein a rotarymagazine shuttle-box is employed,

the same consisting of. a drum with a series of concentrically-arrangedshuttle cells or 3o boxes which are primarily filled with fullweft-carriers or shuttles' which ft snugly or somewhat like pistons intheir respective cells. y Pneumatic mechanical means are providedwhereby when the shuttle in play en- 3 5 ters its cell if it is nearlyexhausted it sets in l motion mechanism which causes intermittentrotation of the magazine and brings int-o the picking position anothercell containing a fresh or fullweft-carrier. The picking is 4o effectedby meansof a compressed aeriform iiuid, as compressed air.` In saidpatent also the magazine `is shown both as vibrating with the lay andasV stationary or non-vibrating, and it is shown at one .side of theloom as well as at both sides thereof. The present `construction is alsoadapted for using a compressed aeriform-luidfor picking the shutl tlc.1lIt employs rotary magazines with concentric shuttle-cells, `onemagazine for each `5o of the `shuttles in play, usually an upper and alower shuttle. It employs a pneumatic mechanical device whereby theshuttle when nearly exhausted effects the partial rotation of themagazine, and there may be magazines at each side of the loom or at butone side thereof; also, the magazines may vibrate with the lay or benon-vibrating.

The peculiar features of the present construction which differ fromthose illustrated in our said patent will be'hereinafter pointed 6o outand their novel characteristics carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1is a front view of a loom, showing one form of the invention appliedthereto. This view is on a small scale and shows only so much of theloom as is necessary to illustrate the invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5are views on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a plan of themagazines and 7o the adjacent parts. Fig. 3 is an end or face view ofthe magazines. Fig. 4 is a detail view` of the valve mechanism foradmitting compressed air to pick the shuttles, and Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section of the magazine. Fig. 6 is a side elevationillustrating a construction where the two magazines are situated oneabove the other instead of one within the other, and Fig. 7 is a frontelevation or end view of the same. "Figs 8, 9, 10, 8o

11, and 12 are views illustrating the construction of the shuttle orweft-carrier. Fig. 13 is a View similar to Fig. 1, illustrating anembodiment of the invention wherein there is a compound magazine at eachside of the loom. Fig. 14 includes a rear, edge, and plan View of thevalve mechanism seen in Fig. 4, illusti-ating the pressure-regulatingdevice for the cells, to be hereinafter described. p

In the drawings and particularly in Fig. 1, 9o a represents theloom-frame;`b, the breastbeam; c, the reed; cl, the lay-swords whichcarry the reed; e, the swing-rail; f, the crankshaft from which the reedreceives its vibrations; g, the cam-shaft, and h t' thefgears by 95which the cam-shaft is driven from the crankshaft.l At the left in Fig.1 is seen the double-shuttle boxyl and at the right is seen the doublemagazine, (indicated as a whole by M.) As shown herein, the magazines Mand shut- 10o tle-box j are non-vibrating--that is, they are not carriedby the batten, reed, or other vibrating part of the loom.

Referring particularly to the detail views, Figs. 2 to 5, the magazinesand their appurtenances will now be described. A bracket 7c on theloom-frame supports a spindle Z, Fig. 5, and on this spindle isrotatively mounted a magazine m. This magazine is situated within anouter magazine n, which rotates on the inner magazine. Each magazine hasin it a series of concentrically-arranged shuttlecells o. As seen inFigs. 3 and 5, the two lower cells of the magazines will be situated oneabove the other, and these will form the working cells for the timebeing, the working cell of the inner magazine fm being the upper celland that of the outer magazine n the lower cell. As shown in theseviews, the cells are rectangularin cross-section; but the presentinvention is not limited in this respect. The two working cells of themagazines will be alined, respectively, with two tubular guides ordirectors p, similar to those shown in our Patent No. 659,950. Eachmagazine m and n is operated independently-that is, it receivesintermittent rotary impulses at proper times to bring the next adjacentcell into working position to supply a fresh shuttle. The mechanism foreifecting this will now be described.

The mechanisms for operating the two magazines are substantially thesame or may be thesame, and it will only be necessary to describe one,premisin g that the same characters of reference designate like parts inboth. It will suffice to say here that the shuttle enters the workingcell somewhat in the manner of a piston and is resisted normally by acushion of air therein, so that it cannot enter in to the full extent;but when the weft or filling therein is nearly exhausted such exhaustionopens a passage for air through the shuttle, whereby the tension of theair-cushion is reduced, and then the shuttle enters the cell to the fullextent. In so entering the shuttle impinges upon the head of a push-rodq, Fig. 5, which plays through a casing at the back of the working celland is coupled to one arm of an elbow-lever r. The other arm of thislever, Fig. 2, is coupled to a detent-rod s, the free end of which playsthrough a pawl-slide t, mounted in a guide on the breast-beam andprovided with a retracting-spring u. The slide t is provided with aspring hook-pawl o, which engages one of a series of ratchet-teeth w onthe magazine. Now when the nearlyexhausted shuttle enters the workingcell and `impinges on the push-rod q the latter acts through theelbow-lever to push forward the detent-rod s into the path of a suitabletappet a: on the lay or going part of the loom, whereby when the reedbeats up this tappet strikes the rod s and operates the pawl o to rotatethe magazine to an extent suflicient to bring the next adjacentshuttle-cell thereof into working position. This magazine-operatingmechanism is similar tothat shown'in our aforesaid patent, No. 659,950.To arrest the magazine and aline the cell properly, the same means maybe employed as that described in our said Patent No. 659,950--that is tosay, a spring-stud y; Fig. 5, adapted to snap into and engage one of aseries of recesses in the end of the magazine.

The means for picking the shuttles or weftcarriers will now be describedwith especial reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 4, premising, however, thatthe invention is not restricted in this respect. A reservoir z,containing a compressed aeriform luid,as air,is connected by a pipe 1with a valve-chamber 2, Fig. 4, at they back of the magazines. Thischamber communicates with two air-receiving chambers 3 3, open to therespective working cells of the magazines by ports closed by valves 4 4,held closed by springs 5 5. A valve-operating arm 6, hinged below at 7,bears on the stems of these valves and is actuated to open the lattersimultaneously by a cam 8 on the cam-shaft g. In the air-pipe 1 is aself-closing cock or valve 9, which is also adapted, Fig. 3, to beopened by the cam 8. The pipe 1, between the valves 4 and theself-closing cock or valve 9, forms a reservoir or vessel to contain aproper charge of compressed air sufficient to drive or pick the shuttlesand insures a uniform charge or volume of air being used at each pick.The operation is as follows: As the cam 8 rotates it Iirst opens thecock 9 and admits a charge of compressed air to the pipe between thevalve 9 andvalves 4. The valve 9 then closes, and as the cam continuesto rotate it next impinges on the arm 6 and causes it to open the valves4, thus admitting the charge of compressed air IOO to the shuttles topick or drive them through the sheds. On the opposite side of the loom,Fig. 1, the same device is employed for admitting a picking charge ofair to the shuttleboxes j, and the same reference characters areemployed for the like parts. In this case, however, the cam is reversedin position, so that the picks from opposite sides may alternate.

The preferred construction of the shuttle 10 will now be described withespecial reference to Figs. 8 to 12. Fig. Sis alongitudinal section ofthe shuttle, showing an empty bobbin therein; and Fig. 9 is across-section thereof at A B in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a crosssection of thecover and spindle at C D in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a side view of the coverand spindle detached, and Fig. l2 is a plan of the same. Theshuttle-body will be made of some thin sheet material, preferably sheetmetal, and it will have an air aperture or apertures 1l in its taperedends. ,The top of the shuttle has in it an opening which will be closedby a cover 12. The spindle 13 has an angular head 14 by which it ishinged to a cross-rod 15, fixed in the shuttle-body, and a spring 16 onthe shuttle bears on said head at the hinging point,and thuslkeeps thespindle in place. The cover 12 has lugs 17, by which it IIO is securedto the head of the spindle, and has curved lips 18, which embrace thesaid head. The bobbin 19 is adapted to slip onto the spindle in theusual way after-the spindle shall have been turned out on its hinge in aknown way. The head or dared end of the bobbin abutsagainst a shoulder2O on the cover 12,

and a flange on the bobbin takes behind a in; but when nearly denuded ofweft and saidapertures are opened thereby the said cushion will berelieved by the free flow of air back through the shuttle, and this willallow the shuttle to advance far enough to aetuate the controllingmechanism and cause the magazine to be shifted. Up to the presenttime ithas been found impossible with the various weft or filling supplyingmechanisms to operate the same in a double-shuttle loom either'bysupplying the bobbins to the shuttles or the full shuttles to the loomwithoutleaving a defect in the fabric due to the absence of one or moreweft-shots, and our present invention is the rst to furnish adoubleshuttle loom with a weft or filling supplying mechanism whereinthe weft is replenished before it is wholly exhausted.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of the device, wherein the twomagazines are situated one above the other instead of one within theother. In this construction m is the upper magazine and n the lowermaga- They rotate on centers independently, the working cell being atthe top of the lower magazine and at the bottom of the upper "common toprovide a loom with means wheremagazine. The means for rotating them isin substance the same as that described with reference to the principalviews.

Referring to the principal views, and particularly Fig. 5, it maybeexplained that the inner magazine m is longer than the outer one fn.,so as to provide access to the ratchetteeth w thereon, that the outermagazine is slipped over the inner from the outer end of the latter (atthe right in Fig. 5) and up to a shoulder on the latter and is held inplace by the bracket lc, that the spindle or axis Z is passed throughfrom the left in Fig. 5 and secured bya nut in the bracket k, and thatthe central boss of the inner magazine is c'ut away to make room for asleeve 23, which is set on the spindle Z. This-latter feature of theconstruction is to provide for the employment ofa protecting-finger. Itis very by in case a shuttle when picked does not enter or properlyenter its box or cell the loomstopping mechanism will be set in motionand the loom stopped. On the loom-frame is mounted an air-cushion device24, Fig. 3, the piston-rodthereofcarryingadagger 25. This dagger iscoupled by a link 26 with an arm 27 on a rock-shaft 28, which rocks in abearing in a lug on the sleeve 23. On the rockshaft 28 is aprotection-finger 29, which enters in the usual way an aperture 30in thecell o. The outer magazine is provided with a similar device. (Seen inFig. 5.) In this construction the dagger 25 is coupled by a link 31 withan arm 32 on a rock-shaft 33, carrying a protection-linger 34. Thefunction of a protection-finger in a loom is too well known to require aminute description.

We are the irstinventors, as We believe, of a double-shuttle loom havingan automatic weft or filling changing or supplying mechanism underpneumatic control or wherein the point at which the shuttle cornes torest in the shuttle-box is governed bythe degree of exhaustion of theweft or filling inthe shuttle and wherein the incoming exhausted orsubstantially exhausted shuttle sets in operation the weft or fillingsupplying mechanism. Therefore we claim such a loom in its broadestsense and without restriction to any specic devices for accomplishingthe result, and we would consider our invention practiced in adouble-shuttle loom having an automatic weft or filling changing orsupplying mechanism adapted to be set in operation by the shuttle, whichlatter enters the box to a certain extent when it is charged with weftor filling and to a different extent when it is exhausted orsubstantially exhausted-that is to say, wherein said supplying mechanismis set in operation through the medium of the shuttle, which lattercomes to two resting-positions in the box-Lone when it `is properlycharged with weft or filling and the other only when the said weft or.filling is wholly or substantially exhausted.

Fig. 13 illustrates a loom provided with a compound magazine at eachside. The same mechanical devices are employed with both.

It may be desirable to regulate the tension of the air-cushionincarcerated in a cellular magazine of the general characterhereindescribed, so that when a full or working shuttle enters the workingcell only the proper degree of tension of the air in the latter will bereached to allow the` shuttle to enter the cell as far as desired.Tothis end means are provided for keeping the tension down in the cellas low as may be found necessary,and such means, or one form of devicefor the purpose, is illustrated in Fig. 14. ln the back or outer wall ofthe casin g containing the two air-receiving chambers 3 3 are mountedtwo like relief-valves 35, one for each chamber IOO IIO

and opening outward, each valvebeing held closed by a suitable spring ofthe desired of the stems of the valves 35 at the instant the valves 4are opened and prevents the relief-valves from rising.

By the term shuttle as herein employed vwe mean any weft-carrier whichis capable of carrying the weft or filling or yarn through the warp-shedof a loom in the process of weaving, and by the'term bobbin as hereinemployed we mean any Weft or filling orA yarn-holder in or to go into ashuttle on which said weft, filling, or yarn is wound.

By the phrase presence or absence or substantial absence and exhaustionor substantial exhaustion of the weft or filling in the shuttle we meaneither the entire denudation ot' the bobbin or such degree of denudationthereof as will allow the shuttle to perform its functions in setting inoperation the supplying mechanism.

We have shown herein means for picking or driving the shuttle withcompressed air; but some of the features of the invention are applicableas well to other means for picking the shuttle-as, for example, with apickerstick and picker, as shown in our Patent No. 659,952, datedOctober 16, 1900.

Where an aeriform fluid under tension is employed to pick or drive theshuttle, the charge of fluid will be to some extent deflected laterallythrough apertures in the Walls of' the shuttle-director near itsreceiving end, so that the entire force of the expansion of the chargeshall not be expended in the direction in which the shuttle travels; butwe do not limit ourselves to this particular deflecting means. In ourPatent No. 674,157, dated May 14,1901, another means for deflecting thefluid is illustrated.

We have shown and described in this application pneumatic control; butwe do not limit ourselves in this respect. Other controlling means areknown and may be employed. Also other means for rotating the magazine orshuttle-feeder than that shown are known, and we do not limit ourselvesin this respect. For example, another device for this purpose isillustrated in our said Patent No. 659,952.

Having thus described our invention, We claim- 1. A double-shuttle loomhaving automatically-opera-ted means for supplying fresh, filledshut-ties as needed, said means comprising two rotary magazines onewithin the other, and means controlled by the presence or absence ofweft on the shuttles in play, for operating said magazines.

2. A shuttle or weft-carrier, having a spindle hinged in it, and a coverfor `the opening in the shuttle carried by said spindle.

3. A shuttle or weft-carrier having a spindle hinged in it, and a coverfor the opening in the shuttle hinged to said spindle.

4. A shuttle or weft-carrier having apertures in its tapered ends, alarge opening in 4its top, and a hinged cover adapted to close saidopening.

5. A loom having at each side an automatically-operating weft or fillingchanging or supplying mechanism, and pneumatic mechanical meanscontrolling said supplying mechanism, the same being made inoperativeand operative,respectively, by the presence or absence of weft or llingin the weft-carrier.

6. The combination with a shuttle-cell, and a shuttle having a passagethrough it closed by the weft or filling in the shuttle, of a reliefdevice for automatically regulating the tension of the air-cushion infront of the incoming shuttle.

7. The combination with a shuttle-cell having a relief device forregulating the tension of the air-cushion incarcerated in the cell infront of theincoming shuttle, the shuttle having an air-passage in itcontrolled by the weft or filling in the shuttle, and means foradmitting an aeriform fiuid under tension to the said cell to pick ordrive the shuttle.

8. The combination with a valve for admitting compressed air to pick theshuttle, an arm for operating said valve, a relief-valve IOO 35, and apart 36, carried by said arm to prevent the valve 35 from opening whenthe air is admitted to pick the shuttle.

9. In a loom wherein the shuttle is picked by a compressed aeriformfluid, the combination with the shuttle-box, a source of compressedaeriform iiuid, and a valve for admitting the fluid to the shuttle-box,of a reservoir to contain a proper charge of the fluid for picking ordriving the shuttle, a cock or valve for admitting the fluid to saidreservoir, and mechanism for operating the said controlling cocks orvalves alternately, whereby a measured picking charge of fluid isfurnished.

10. In a loom wherein the shuttle is picked by a compressed aeriformfluid, the combination with a source of said fluid, a shuttle-box, and aconduit which supplies the fluid to said box, of a valve controlling theadmission of fiuid to the shuttle-box and situated near the same, aself-closing cock or valve 9, for controlling the admission of the fluidto the conduit which forms a charge-reservoir between the cocks orvalves, a rotating shaft, and a cam thereon adapted to open said cocksor valves alternately, substantially as set forth.

11. In a double-shuttle loom, the combination with tworotatively-mounted,celled magazines, one rotating Within the other, andmechanisms forimparting rotative impulses to said magazines, ot'mechanism controlled by the weft or filling in the shuttles in play forsetting in operation the respective magazine-rotating mechanisms, thesaid shuttles, and pro- ILO tecting mechanisms, substantially asdescribed, to stop the loom in case the respectiveshuttles `do notgethome in their cells.

12. The combination with the two rotary, multiple-celled magazines, oneWithin the other,an`d each having a xed shuttle-director, of movablemeans forclosing the upper cells l of said magazines, substantially asset forth.

`13. In a double-shuttle loom, the combination with tvvo rotary,multiple-celled shuttlemagazines, one situated within the other and bothturning about a common center, and a f weft end holder common to bothmagazines,

of means for imparting rotary impulses to said magazines, and pneumaticmechanical means controlled i by the weft or filling in the shuttles inplay for setting in motion the respective rotating means of themagazines.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto signed our names, this 15th day ofNovember, 1899, zo

in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BAKER. FREDERIC E. KIP. v

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, PETER A. Ross.

